


The Offer

by GreatestChange



Series: Roll with the Punches [8]
Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:15:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27072571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GreatestChange/pseuds/GreatestChange
Summary: While Asami’s off on a two-week business trip in Japan, Korra must decide if she’s ready to go back to Quebec and see Tonraq again. At the same time, some people from her past tempt her into going back to the lifestyle she’s been struggling to escape.
Relationships: Korra/Asami Sato
Series: Roll with the Punches [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1347502
Comments: 57
Kudos: 534





	The Offer

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! It's come to my attention that someone has spread misinformation that the series is over. Unless you see this series marked off as complete, it is NOT. There's _a lot_ more to come, so please be patient for now and SUBSCRIBE to the series for future updates. 
> 
> Stay safe out there ❤️

Every first Tuesday of the month for the past four months, Ginger would host game nights in the bar for Blackstone members only. Despite not being in the fight club anymore, Korra was always invited, and by association so was Asami. They’d only gone twice so far, but Korra enjoyed it for the most part. She got to catch up with some people she hadn’t seen in a while and reminisce about old stories while joining in on the laughter. Out of the two of them, though, Korra knew Asami loved it more, simply because it gave her more insight.

They were currently seated around a long table with seven other people and playing a game of Texas Holdem. A few others stood or sat nearby as well, conversing and listening to old rock music from the new jukebox Ginger recently had installed. There was a lack of chairs at the table, so rather than swap seats whenever the other wanted to play, Asami perched herself down in Korra’s lap without a second thought. In the meanwhile, Korra sat back and chatted with Kuvira, who’d already accepted her defeat in the current round. But there would be a few times where Korra would stop what she was doing to whisper strategy to Asami or point out another player’s terrible poker face. She had plenty of experience playing with everyone at the table and knew a couple of tricks, but she could also admit that her intentions weren’t so pure and that all she really wanted was to rile Asami up. Judging by the way Asami kept squirming on top of Korra whenever she whispered something, Korra knew she succeeded.

She listened as Kuvira told her about her upcoming match the weekend after the next. Then she casually mentioned something that made Korra’s eyebrows shoot up.

“Two matches in a single night?” she parroted in amazement. “With who?”

“Rozz from the Red Monsoons and Faheema from the Agni Kai.”

Korra rolled her eyes at the mentioning of the latter name, but it didn’t distract her from Kuvira’s main disclosure. “Is that even allowed?”

“Who cares? I’m getting paid more than what I’ve ever made before so I can’t complain.”

“Way to rub it in, asshole,” spoke a woman named Claudia from across the table.

“And you’re sure you’ll be able to handle something like that?” Korra asked, her brows knitting. At the same time, she heard a collective groan from the table when Asami won her third game in a row and started collecting everyone’s money.

“I’ll have some time to recuperate between each match. It’ll be fine,” Kuvira said with the toss of her hand.

“Sounds like a kickass opportunity. I’m sad I can’t see it,” Korra said in true disappointment.

“I’d have Jargala record it, but someone ratted on us the last time and Zhu Li flipped out.”

“It’s fine. Probably for the best.”

“What are your plans for the next two weeks? Asami’s leaving tomorrow, right?”

“Nothing much aside from working and training with you.”

Korra had been secretly dreading this week since Asami first brought it up a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, being a successful CEO with a large corporate company to run from two opposite sides of the world meant Asami would occasionally have to travel for longer periods. She’d gone on trips before without Korra, but none of them lasted for more than a few days. It made this one the longest they would be apart since they started dating.

“You know I’m only a call or text away if you want to hang out outside of the gym,” Kuvira said.

“She will,” Asami said, turning a bit and wrapping an arm around Korra’s shoulders. “Sitting in the apartment bored all day isn’t her style. You’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t get in any trouble for me, Kuvira.”

“You know that’s asking for a miracle, right?”

Asami smiled and looked down at Korra. “Ready to get going?”

“Yeah, as much as I love watching you gamble, you need to get to bed,” Korra said.

“Oh, we’re sure you’ll take her there, Korra,” said Jargala from halfway down the table, with Ginger laughing in her lap. It kickstarted a round of teasing from around the table and people making kissy faces at Korra.

Before she could tell them all to go to hell, Korra was pulled out of the chair by Asami who bid everyone farewell.

“Wait, wait, wait!” Ginger called out, running over to them and yelping when Jargala slapped her on the rear. She went to Asami and attacked her with a hug. “I know two weeks isn’t that long, but I’m gonna miss you, babe!”

“I’ll miss you, too,” Asami said, laughing. “Call me?”

“Of course. We still have to discuss—” Ginger whispered the rest in Asami’s ear. Asami only smiled and nodded in agreement. Once they pulled apart, Asami grabbed Korra by the hand again and led her out of the bar.

“What was that about?” Korra asked in suspicion.

Asami motioned her hand over her mouth, indicating that her lips were sealed. “You’ll know soon enough.”

“Okay, weirdo,” Korra chuckled.

They headed down the sidewalk to the motorcycle parked out on the curb and Asami handed Korra a helmet. Just then, a cold wind blew by.

“Where has the summer gone?” Asami asked while hugging her jacket closer to her body. “It’s only the middle of August, but it’s already beginning to feel like late October.”

“You’ve been busy these last few weeks. I almost thought I wouldn’t be able to give you your birthday wish.”

“Oh, trust me, I would’ve found the time to be able to receive that gift,” Asami said, smirking and blushing at the same time.

Korra cleared her throat, wanting to get off the subject before she got too _excited._ “So, I’m guessing for October I should prepare myself for 31 Nights of Halloween?”

“Yup!” Asami chirped. “I’ve had our scary movie schedule picked out for the past month already. Just like old times.”

“You mean the old times where you’d almost break my arm off from clinging to it so much whenever a ‘terrifying’ scene came on?” Korra rolled her shoulder at the memory.

“I’ve gotten better!” Asami claimed. “Now it’s only the nasty, gory parts I’ll need to use you as a shield for.”

Korra smiled and looked down. It wasn’t like she minded all that much in the past. In fact, she remembered why October became her favorite month.

“So, when you come back, will we be decking the apartment out in fall and Halloween inspired themes?”

“You know I’m not much of a decorator these days,” Asami said.

“Yeah, well, maybe we could start?” Korra asked with a bit of shyness. “It could, I don’t know, be our new thing?”

Asami turned to her in surprise but then gave a wide grin.

“Really? You wanna do stuff like that together?”

Korra shrugged and tried to play it off. “Whatever. It’s just that it would be a welcome change from what the apartment currently looks like.”

“Uh-huh, sure,” Asami teased, but then she leaned over and kissed Korra on the cheek. “I would love that.”

They got onto the back of Asami’s bike—one of the newer Sato models—and after Korra secured her arms around her girlfriend’s waist and let her know she was ready, Asami kickstarted the engine and immediately sped off into the night. Korra’s arms instinctively tightened around Asami’s torso, but in her stomach, she felt a thousand butterflies due to the thrill. Asami’s driving was always an intense yet effortless spectacle. Even when they were teens, she managed to zip past others and get them through traffic in record time. It gave Korra the same kind of rush she found at whatever kind of party she attended, only better.

Putting her chin on Asami’s shoulder, Korra watched the city blur by them and grew weary from the soft rumbling of the warm machine that made her practically melt into Asami’s frame. How was she supposed to go a whole two weeks without this?

They arrived back at the apartment in 15 minutes flat and Asami parked her motorcycle in the parking garage. Korra was still trying to get the ringing noise out of her ears when Asami grabbed her hand and led her toward the building.

“What if I delayed the trip for another week?” Asami spoke suddenly.

“I think you’ve put it off long enough already,” Korra pointed out.

“But it’s not like they _really_ need me there. I could do it all over conference call.”

“And deny all of your investors and stockholders the privilege of seeing your gorgeous face in person? Oh, the travesty.”

“You’re right. I absolutely _have_ to go now.” Asami said jokingly. She swung their hands back and forth as she thought for a moment. “I don’t think I’ve ever dreaded going on a trip as much as I do right now.”

“It’s only for two weeks. We’ve been separated a lot longer than that,” Korra reminded her and then squeezed her hand. Even though she’d been having the same thoughts and concerns, only one of them could voice them aloud while the other remained diplomatic.

“Touché. And I guess it’ll be nice having Niko there, too. No slight to Rita or anything, but she wasn’t as enthused to go shopping with me or explore.”

Korra’s eyes narrowed only the slightest bit. “Right, Niko… You guys are in separate rooms, right?”

Asami chuckled and pinched Korra in the side. “Don’t be like that. You’ve already traumatized the poor girl enough. Besides, she’s _not_ into me.”

“If you say so.”

“So, you’re gonna be okay here, then?” Asami asked, changing the subject.

“I’ll be _fine._ ”

“Yeah, but are you sure?”

Korra released a quiet laugh. She knew Asami wanted her to say not to go, which was almost too good of an offer to pass up. However, despite her own wants, this was one part of their relationship they would have to deal with sooner or later.

“I’m sure,” Korra said. “I think this will be good for us. You have a company to run in two different countries, so going on these trips is inevitable.”

“Be honest, you just want a break from me,” Asami said with a pout and shoulder bumped her.

“Yes, you are, in fact, up my butt all the time.”

“Funny. I don’t recall us ever taking part in such an act.”

“Mature, Sato. Very mature.”

They got inside the building and took the elevator to the top floor. Asami put her head on Korra’s shoulder and yawned.

“Just be prepared for me to decompress _a lot_ after this trip,” she said. “These things never go as planned and usually someone’s pissing me off within the first day.”

“It’s okay. I was already fully expecting one of your epic rants in Japanese.”

“Yeah, and it especially gets bad over there when I’m speaking it 95% of the time. I apologize in advance.”

“I expect your apology in the form of nudes only, actually.”

“Wait, I started off the last time, didn’t I?”

“A picture of your legs in the bathtub does not count as a nude, Asami.”

Asami giggled. “Fine, fine. I’ll go first.”

When they entered their apartment and got out of their jackets and shoes, Korra went to the fridge and pulled out two waters along with a yogurt she knew Asami would want before she went to sleep. Asami’s suitcases were already packed and near the wall by the door.

“I didn’t realize how late it was,” Asami said, shaking her hair out from its ponytail and gratefully accepting the water and yogurt when Korra handed it over. Korra looked at the time and saw that they made it home just five minutes past midnight.

“I tried to get you to leave, but you just _insisted_ on playing another round, didn’t you?” Korra said.

“I can’t help it if I’m competitive! If I can’t beat those girls up like they surely would me, then I need to show my strength in other areas.”

“All right, Miss Competitive. We’ll see if you’re still in that same mindset when you have to be up in the next four hours.”

* * *

Korra stirred awake at the sound of shuffling and when she felt the bed dip. It was still pitch black outside and in the room, indicating that not much time passed since she fell asleep. She found Asami sitting on the edge of the bed right next to her, delicately raking a hand through her hair.

“I’m leaving now,” Asami announced.

Despite still being half asleep, Korra sat up in bed and wrapped her arms around Asami, then she pulled her down on top of her. Asami laughed in her neck.

“Text me once you get to the airport,” Korra mumbled.

“You’ll probably be asleep and won’t see it until I’m on the plane.”

“I don’t care. Text me.”

“Okay.”

Korra kept her arms wrapped tightly in place around Asami’s neck.

“You have to let go some time,” Asami said in amusement.

With a sigh, Korra loosened her hold, but before pulling back all the way, she pulled Asami in for one long, passionate farewell kiss. She even slipped in some tongue and was rewarded with a soft moan from Asami.

When they finally parted, Asami kept her forehead pressed against Korra’s.

“You’re not making this easy for me,” she admitted.

“That was just a slight teaser for what you’re in for when you get back.”

“Mm. Speaking of teasers, you should check your phone right after I leave.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” Asami smiled mischievously and then tucked Korra’s bangs behind her right ear. “I’ll see you soon.”

“Yeah… Bye, Asami.”

Asami pressed one last kiss on Korra’s forehead and got up from the bed. A minute later, she walked out of the room.

Korra sighed again and fell back into the pillows, closing her eyes even though she felt wide awake now.

This already sucked.

She remembered Asami’s suggestion and reached for her phone on the drawer and unlocked it. Surprisingly, it opened to her photo gallery. It took her a second to understand, but once she saw the first couple of photos, she understood _perfectly_.

Biting her lip, she clicked through the several new images of Asami butt naked in the downstairs bathroom mirror from all different angles. Korra wondered how she didn’t notice her girlfriend’s absence from their bed, but it quickly became irrelevant when she stumbled across the short _videos_ Asami recorded as well. Especially the one of her up against the bathroom door, her head thrown back and fingers moving inside her.

“Well played, Sato,” Korra muttered and slipped her hand underneath the sheets.

Yeah, the situation still sucked, but it _did_ have some perks after all.

* * *

“47…48…49…50!”

Korra exhaled loudly and used her abdominal muscles to fully lift herself on the punching bag and uncross her legs from it. Once she dropped to the floor, she looked across from her at Jargala who’d been running through a circuit Korra assigned her. Right now, she was on 20 pop squats.

“Looking a little slow,” she teased.

“Shush, you,” Jargala responded with a glare.

“Run through the circuit one more time after this, then come and take a break.”

Korra walked over to the nearby bench where they dumped all of their stuff and sat down. She wiped her sweaty face with a towel and hung it over her shoulders, then looked over at Jargala to make sure she didn’t have to yell at her about sloppy form. She’d been training the other woman for well over three months now, and despite their light-hearted jabs and bickering, Korra enjoyed it. Even though she left the fight club almost nine months ago, having those small ties made her transition out of it more bearable. Or maybe, as Asami once pointed out to her, she was stubbornly hanging onto whatever left she could?

Speaking of Asami, it’d been four days since she left for Japan. She called Korra after the 14-hour plane ride to let her know that she made it there safely, but in between the jetlag and going in and out of important meetings, the only times they could talk were when Asami got back to her hotel at night.

Korra pulled out her phone and checked the time. It was only 7:30 in the morning, but she had another 30 minutes with Jargala scheduled. After that, she would need to hop in the shower and get ready to start her shift at 9.

She decided that now would be her only time to talk and gave Asami a quick call.

The minute Asami answered she said, “I was just thinking about you.”

“Good things, I hope,” Korra replied.

“Of course. I’ve been looking forward to hearing your voice all day.”

Korra smiled. The first three days of Asami being gone were the longest, but she worked through it, keeping herself busy at the gym, training others, and coaching Jargala for her upcoming match. It was only the nights alone in bed that she thought took forever.

“I can’t talk for long,” she admitted. “I’m with Jargala right now and then I have to get ready for work.”

“That’s okay. I’m probably gonna head to bed soon.”

“Everything okay?” Korra asked. She looked over and saw Jargala going through the circuit one last time.

“Yeah, just super busy. Wish you were here.”

“Me too,” Korra said, drawing out a long breath. She knew once one of them got sad, the other would too. Rather than have that happen, she switched topics. “On another note, Ginger keeps hyping up something major for next Friday at the bar.”

“Oh, is she?” Asami asked. The nonchalance in her tone made Korra squint her eyes in suspicion.

“Uh-huh. She said if I didn’t come then I’d _totally_ regret it.”

“Geez. I guess you can’t miss it then, huh?”

Korra laughed. “You aren’t slick. I hope you know that.”

“You’ll have to be more specific, Korra. I have no idea what you’re referring to.”

A notification sounded from Korra’s phone that said she had a text. From a glance, she saw it was from Senna.

“You there?” Asami asked when Korra hadn’t responded.

“Yeah, I’m here. Sorry.”

“It’s cool. I probably should head to bed now, anyway. I’m looking over this schedule Niko gave me and I’m already getting a headache.”

“Oh, all right.” Korra hid the disappointment in her tone. “Try to take it easy whenever you can. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay. Love you.”

“Love you, too.”

Korra hung up the phone, then she immediately checked the text her mom sent.

_Hi, sweetie! It’s looking like the last week of September would be good for us next month. If that’s too soon then let me know. I’m so excited!_

Korra stared at the message for a long time, frozen there as she tried to sum up all of the feelings that stirred up inside her. Concern, doubt, hesitancy, sadness, and fear.

After getting back from Nebraska, she was able to think long and hard about Senna’s (or rather, Tonraq’s) request. She stood by her initial response in thinking this could potentially be a bad idea. Oddly enough, however, her confrontation with Mako sparked some enlightenment. She was finally able to make up with her mother after nine long years, and so far, their relationship continued to repair itself. It was the easiest relationship out of the two that she could fix amongst her parents, but just because it would be harder with her father, did that mean she shouldn’t try?

When Jargala finished her circuit, she came and sat down beside Korra.

“You’re trying to kill me, I swear to God,” Jargala said, putting her face between her knees and breathing hard.

Korra put her phone away and reached behind herself to grab Jargala’s water bottle, then handed it to her.

“Don’t complain just yet. You still have six miles to run after this.

Jargala looked over, her green eyes narrowing, and she snatched the bottle out of Korra’s hands and drank from it.

“Remind me again why I’m not training with Kuvira?”

“Because if you can’t handle my training, then you sure as hell wouldn’t be able to survive hers.”

“I still can’t believe she gets two matches in one night. Lucky bitch.”

“I can’t believe Varrick never came up with this idea sooner.”

“Are you going next weekend?”

“To the match?” Korra gave her friend a quizzical look. “You know I don’t go to them anymore.”

“I don’t see why not. It’s not like you’re fighting anymore, and I think everyone out of the loop is over the fact that you dipped after that brutal beatdown you took.”

“It _wasn’t_ a beatdown.”

“Well, whatever. Just come and hang out for a bit. You can watch mine and both of Kuvira’s matches. I think it’ll help you in the long run in terms of training me. You can only teach me so much when you haven’t watched a single one of my matches since you left.”

“I think I see all that I need to see here.”

“Don’t be a shady asshole,” Jargala said, nudging her. “Come on. Just stop by for a bit. I’m sure Varrick would love to see his former golden girl again.”

“Yeah, the golden girl that cost him thousands of dollars. I’m sure.”

“I’m serious. He’s asked me and Kuvira how you were doing on several occasions. It’s getting quite annoying.”

“Really?”

When Jargala nodded earnestly, Korra smiled. As crazy and annoying as Varrick was, a tiny part of her missed his antics as well. Along with the faith he had in her.

Thinking of him, she remembered something.

“How have things been overall lately?” she asked Jargala.

“What do you mean?”

“Like, the events? Any new trouble or threats? Attempted crackdowns?”

“Uh, well, I mean, there’s always threats.” Jargala scratched her head. “Nothing else as of late, though.”

“You’re sure?”

When Jargala only shrugged, Korra sighed and leaned forward, resting an elbow on her knee and putting her chin in her hand. She went back to that conversation she had with Mako again, but this time because of the “courteous” warnings they gave to one another. Since then, Korra hadn’t spoken to him, but he and Asami did meet up at least twice in the past few weeks. From what Asami told her about their conversations, nothing about Blackstone or fight clubs came up. It didn’t officially put Korra’s mind at ease, though. For all she knew, Mako could have told his superior or planted a few seeds, and who knew what kind of catastrophe would come from that?

She was still supportive of Asami trying to mend her friendship with Mako (for the most part), but she didn’t trust Mako farther than she could throw him. And if he was preparing to go to war with one of the few places Korra cared about the most, she felt it was her duty to give some kind of warning to the people in danger.

“Jargala, I need you to do me a favor.”

* * *

A black SUV pulled up and stopped in the middle of the street a few feet away from where Korra stood. She glanced it over three times just to be sure it was the right one and then got inside.

“Well, well, if it isn’t my _former_ favorite person.”

Korra turned to the man on the opposite side of her. “Hi, Varrick.”

“Oh, ‘hi, Varrick,’ she says.” Varrick looked toward the front seat where Zhu Li sat alongside a bodyguard in the driver’s seat. “As if she didn’t cost me millions.”

“It was hardly millions, sir,” Zhu Li pointed out pragmatically.

“Well, it was still a lot!”

“Is the only reason you agreed to speak with me today because you wanted to make me feel bad?” Korra asked.

Varrick rubbed his beard and squinted his eyes. “Depends? Is it working?”

Korra remained quiet and stared him down. Varrick stared back just as challengingly and it lasted a good 20 seconds.

“Ah, I’m just teasing you, kid!” Varrick slapped her hard on the shoulder and then wrapped an arm around her, pulling her forward into an awkward hug. “It’s been so long! How ya been? Still as durable as ever, I see.”

“I’m okay,” Korra said, squirming under his grip.

When Varrick pulled away, he reached into the inside of his Armani suit and pulled out a flask.

“Care for a drink?” he asked, reaching for one of the glasses Zhu Li (for some reason) had on hand.

“I’m good.”

The bodyguard started driving down the road. To where? Korra had no idea.

“So, why exactly have you called me out of hiding today? When Jargala spoke with me a few days ago, it sounded important. And you know how valuable my time is.”

“Wait, you’re in hiding?” Korra asked.

“It’s a figure of speech, kid.”

“Right…” Korra raked her fingers through her hair and leaned forward. “Listen, the only reason I needed to see you was to warn you.”

“Warn me?” Varrick raised a brow.

“Yes. I know you’re the kind of a guy who likes to be bold and daring, and that you have people on the inside of the police department to help you out of a pinch from time to time. With that said, I think it would be in yours and Blackstone’s best interest if you didn’t take any unnecessary risks.”

“What do you know?”

“Not much,” Korra said, because she really didn’t. “Just some gossip about how Blackstone is starting to feel more mainstream, in a sense.”

“ _Mainstream?”_ Varrick asked and then looked at Zhu Li in question.

“Popular. Well-known,” Zhu Li explained.

“Ah.”

“As I said, it’s gossip right now,” Korra said. “But if that did happen to be the case and you didn’t lay low and stretch out events for at least the next couple of months, I think it could lead to a huge shitstorm. I’m just telling you this out of concern as someone who used to fight for this club.”

“Well, that’s very sweet of you, Korra, but that’s unnecessary.” Varrick patted Korra lightly on the shoulder. “I’ve been in this game since I was 16 years old. I know how this works, and I always find my way out of everything.”

“But—”

“Now, Korra.” Varrick stopped her. “You’ve known me for, what? Three years now? Have I ever let you or the club down before?”

“Well, no—”

“Great! So, then, there’s nothing to worry about.”

Korra sighed. How did she not see this coming? Varrick didn’t listen to anybody unless they agreed with him. Though, he did have a point. She knew how well-versed he was in this game. If Blackstone ever did get close to trouble, Varrick knew what to do and shut things down immediately. So, was this just her paranoia talking?

“Korra,” Varrick said, waiting until she looked at him. “I have it under control,” he spoke firmly.

“Yeah, I know,” she said, albeit with a little bit of skepticism.

“Now, is there anything else I can do for you?” Varrick asked.

“No, not really.”

“Are you sure?”

Korra paused and turned to him. Seeing that familiar glint in her former boss’s eyes, she could see where the conversation was headed.

“No, I’m good,” she said, looking away.

“I’m sure you heard about Kuvira’s doubleheader coming up since you’re still pretty tight with the club.”

“I did.”

“And you’re telling me that doesn’t get your blood just pumping? Your body itching? I know you’ve been training Jargala. She’s gotten insanely good in just a short matter of time, so you must still be in excellent shape. I could put you in a match this weekend also if you wanted. ‘The former rookie rumored to be back in action!’ I’m just imagining the turnout we’d receive from that!”

Hearing the excitement in Varrick’s voice as he spoke a thousand words per minute issued excitement for Korra as well. She could picture herself in the ring again, across from an opponent, the crowd yelling and screaming all around her—all for her—their voices booming and amplifying the electricity in the air as she took those couple of steps forward in preparation to throw the first punch…

The image went as soon as it came.

“No,” she said, cutting off Varrick’s rambling. “I told you that I was done almost a year ago and that still hasn’t changed.”

She watched Varrick’s face and saw his galvanized expression quickly turn into disillusionment.

“All right, then,” Varrick said, then he looked at Zhu Li and gave her a nod, which she transcribed and then told the bodyguard to stop the car. They were somewhere on 88th street near Central Park.

Korra folded her hands in her lap and looked down when Varrick said nothing else.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I… I have things in my life now. Important things. Going back there… It’s not the person I wanna be anymore.”

She opened the door and got out of the car before Varrick could verbally kick her out.

“Hey, kid.”

Korra turned.

Varrick covered his eyes with a matching pair of Armani sunglasses.

“I remember exactly what you told me, just like I hope you remember what I told you. If you do ever want to come back, the door is open. I mean it. You’re too much of a star to pass up.”

He shut the door, and a second later the car pulled off. As it turned the next corner, Korra’s shoulders dropped. For something that should’ve been so easy to do, a small bit of regret lingered.

* * *

It came close to midnight and Korra was in bed. She stared at the message Senna sent a few days ago that she still had yet to reply to. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard as she attempted to write something, but with a defeated sigh, she lowered the phone down to her face.

She hated that she was feeling so unsure now. There were too many things on her mind, making things that should’ve been simple the most complicated.

Her phone started ringing, and when she checked the caller ID, a smile lit up across her face before she answered.

“I almost thought you wouldn’t call.”

“Me, too,” Asami said. “Everyone wanted to go out for an executive lunch meeting and I politely told them I had other work to do. In reality, I just needed an hour of peace before my brain turned to the kind of black slush you see on the sidewalk in the dead of winter.”

“That’s specific,” Korra said with a laugh.

“How are you?” Asami asked.

“I’m okay.”

“Just okay?”

“Yeah… It’s been a long past couple of days.”

“Anything I need to worry about?”

“You just want me to say yes so you can have an excuse to come home.”

Asami fake gasped. “What? Me? I would never.”

Korra chuckled and placed a hand over her stomach. “You just can’t be without me, can you?”

“I can, but I operate on a dangerously low fuel tank.”

Korra pressed the phone even closer to her ear, thinking it would somehow bring them closer. “Our codependency issues are coming out with this trip, huh?”

“Yeah. I’m afraid we’re now in a toxic relationship.”

“Damn. I thought we were doing so well, too.”

Asami’s laugh chimed like a bell through the phone. “Seriously, though. Tell me about your day. Mine has been uneventful so far. Just a bunch of prep for this four-day business convention coming up. At least after that, I’ll finally be home.”

Korra hesitated.

“I didn’t do much. Just some training with Kuvira this morning, then I hung out at her place for a little while.”

“She must’ve kicked your ass today, judging from your tone.”

“Heh… yeah.” Korra drummed her fingers on her stomach and breathed outwardly. She needed to come clean sooner or later. “I also saw Varrick.”

There was a long pause.

“What? Why?” Asami asked a few seconds later, still processing Korra’s words.

“I wanted to warn him just in case something happened in the next couple of months. I don’t know what Mako’s plans are—”

“Wait, you told him about Mako?”

Korra rolled her eyes, slightly annoyed at the urgent tone in Asami’s voice. “No. Obviously not. I’m not dumb.”

“I know you’re not, Korra,” Asami sighed. “This is just really random and out of the blue, and I’m not understanding why you’d do that.”

“If people are coming after Varrick and the club, then he needed to know. He deserves a fair warning.”

“I’m sure he already knows the high risks. There’s probably not a day that goes by without someone trying to go after him. You don’t need to be involved in that.”

Korra heard the disappointment in Asami’s tone and her heart sank.

“You’re mad?” she questioned quietly.

“No, I’m just concerned,” Asami said.

“Why?”

“Because you’re still at a vulnerable time in your life right now and I don’t want Varrick playing into that.”

“He isn’t.”

“So, in that conversation you had with him, not once did the topic of you returning to Blackstone come up?”

“I mean, it did, but I told him no.”

Korra heard Asami breathe out from her nose. “This is exactly what I mean. All he needed was you coming face to face with him to throw that on the table for you.”

“I just told you I said no, and he took it pretty well. Why is it still a problem?” Korra asked, growing irritated. “Do you not trust me to say no?”

“No—I mean _yes_ , of course, I trust you. It’s Varrick I don’t trust. He’s a manipulator and he’d use every opportunity for you to doubt the decision you made.”

“I’ve known him for a while now. You don’t think I know that?”

“It’s not a question of if you know or not. I’m just looking out for—” Asami’s sentence broke off and then Korra heard voices. Asami spoke something in Japanese and the conversation went on for another minute or two before she came back. “Sorry.”

“It’s okay. I should get to bed anyway. I have to work in the morning.”

“I don’t want to end this conversation if we’re fighting,” Asami said honestly.

“We’re not fighting.”

“Well, clearly you’re mad.”

Korra closed her eyes.

“Let’s just talk about this when you get home, okay? I don’t want to mess up your flow, and you’re busy enough without having to worry about this. I’m not mad. I just need to sleep.”

She heard what sounded like a pen tapping against a desk anxiously.

“Okay…” Asami said quietly.

“All right. Bye.”

Korra hung up and threw an arm over her face. She thought of herself as a thin string, no thicker than a piece of floss, being tugged in so many directions right now that it made her nauseous. She knew Asami was just worried about her, but at the moment, it felt like all of her good efforts and willpower meant nothing. She was strong enough to tell Varrick that she couldn’t go back, and that counted, didn’t it? Did Asami even see that?

With a sigh, she brought a pillow over her face, hoping that at any moment her brain would stop spinning on the wheel of dismay.

* * *

“Another round of club sodas, please. This time add bitters with the lime,” Kuvira shouted over to the bartender and placed the bills down on the table. The bartender nodded and collected the money before walking off.

It was a Friday, so GINGER’S was packed, but more so than usual. Korra made sure to arrive at eight on the dot after Ginger spammed her with texts in the group chat demanding her to be on time. She didn’t find out why until she got there. An up and coming local band known as “Patio” were playing, so the surge of traffic was imminent. They were also one of Korra’s newer favorites that she recently became obsessed with, and Asami knew that, too. She apparently got in touch with the band’s manager and organized them to perform at the bar. They even dedicated their performance for the night to Korra. Rather than feel happy, however, Korra sank deeper into a pool of sadness.

“Are you going to be sitting around moping all night?” Kuvira asked, practically reading her mind.

“I’m not moping.”

“Brooding then?”

Korra rolled her eyes. The 10-day mark hit, and she felt miserable. Between meetings and attending that long four-day business convention, Asami didn’t have much time to talk, only texting Korra at the end of the day to tell her goodnight. Korra imagined that she wouldn’t hear much from her until she was back in the airport and headed home finally. Neither of them brought up the conversation from the other day about Varrick, but it continued to weigh heavily on Korra’s mind. The only person she could rant about it to was Kuvira.

“You can go find someone else less broody to hang around, then,” Korra said.

“Come on, rookie. Cheer up.” Kuvira patted her on the back. “Enjoy the night. I’m sure that’s what Asami would want since she’s been planning this for weeks.”

“That’s supposed to make me feel better?” Korra asked, swirling her glass of ice cubes around in her glass and watching them melt.

“Once she’s home in a few days, I’m sure this entire situation will blow over. Besides, what do you have to be upset about anyway? She was only looking out for you.”

“So, you agree with her?” Korra asked, looking at her friend. “You think I shouldn’t have gone to Varrick?”

“I can see both sides. You were looking out for all of us, and I can appreciate that. But that same level of dedication and devotion you’re giving to us is what Asami’s giving to you.”

“I know that, but shouldn’t credit be given where credit is due? Varrick gave me an offer and I declined.”

“You need to be 100% honest with yourself,” Kuvira said, turning to her with a serious look. “Did you _really_ need to meet with Varrick about something he’s probably fully aware of? You could’ve passed along the message through me or Jargala if you were that concerned.”

“You think I used that as an excuse to see him? Even though I rejected the opportunity he gave me?”

“Subconsciously maybe, but I’m not inside your head. If you’re asking for my opinion, though, I do think you still have ways to go with finding yourself, and that’s why it’s causing you to have doubts. It’s like you’re on a steep climb up a mountain and looking for a way to go back down.”

“I’m happy where I am right now,” Korra said defensively. “I quit because I knew that situation would affect mine and Asami’s relationship in the long run. So, saying that I regret my decision means saying I regret my relationship, and that’s not it.”

“That’s not what I’m implying at all,” Kuvira said calmly, then waited a moment. It was enough time for Korra to relax.

“I know you’re not,” she said, lowering her shoulders. “Sorry. This whole thing is stressing me out.”

“I know,” Kuvira replied sympathetically. “You just need to do more soul searching. I don’t doubt that once you figure out what you truly want to do with your life, you’ll flourish in whatever that is.”

“Yeah… soul searching.” Korra’s shoulders slumped. How long would she be stuck? So much time passed already. Was she not trying hard enough? Relying too much on eventually stumbling on something that would tick off all the right boxes and she’d sink comfortably into? It wasn’t something she’d ever done before, and she didn’t want to start now.

Thinking about all of the recent changes she made in her life and the ones she still had yet to make forced her to think about the biggest challenge she had wariness about facing.

The bartender came by with their drinks and the band took a 15-minute intermission, making it easier to hear and talk without yelling. Korra looked to Kuvira in curiosity, and her friend returned her gaze.

“Can I ask you a very personal question in the middle of a bar?” Korra asked.

Kuvira snorted. “I think I’m too intrigued to say no.”

Korra nibbled on her bottom lip.

“If your parents randomly showed back up one day and you were given the opportunity to confront them, would you?”

Kuvira paused before lifting her glass to her lips. A second later, she glanced at Korra again.

“Depends,” she answered. “I’ve survived a good 24 years without them and practically raised myself. But despite all of the trouble and pain it caused me, I was able to let go of all that bitterness and hatred I had for them. Seeing them would just bring those old feelings back.”

“But…” Korra anticipated.

“I guess it would be good to know once and for all what happened and have my questions answered.”

“What would you ask?”

Kuvira blew her lips together. “Probably a bunch of generic shit, like where did they go, why did they give me up the way that they did… If there was something wrong with me and I was the problem, or if it was just them.”

Korra nodded and looked down. The latter question resonated with her a lot.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I know this is a really hard subject for you to talk about.”

“As I’ve told you, I’ve gotten over it. But can I ask what brought this conversation on to begin with?”

“I told my mom I would go up to Quebec and visit her.”

“I thought you two already patched things up?”

“Yeah… _we_ did. My father and I not so much.”

“Ah, I get it.” Kuvira took a long drink from her glass before placing it down on the bar. “Why did you agree to go then?”

“Because…” Korra thought about it. “I think about Asami and how she was able to confront her corrupt, maniacal father and the amount of bravery that must’ve taken. Then I think about you and how you’ll never get that chance of a confrontation with your parents. With me… I’ve just been scared to face my dad.”

“That’s not your fault. What you told me about him, how he treated you, and the things he said… That’s enough to mess any kid up for life. And for you it almost did.”

“I know,” Korra said, rotating her drink around in her hand.

“You still wanna go, though, don’t you?” Kuvira asked.

“You’re the one who taught me to not let fear get in the way of dealing with my past. If I don’t face this finally, I worry that it’s going to hold me back for the rest of my life. I’ll constantly wonder about it.”

“Yeah, I understand that, but…” Kuvira stopped herself and shook her head.

“What?” Korra asked.

Kuvira paused again for another few seconds before meeting Korra’s eyes again.

“You’ve already come so far in this past year, and I couldn’t be happier that you’re still actively looking to make positive changes in your life. My worry is what if you do face this and it doesn’t go the way that you want it to? Would you be prepared to handle something like that?”

Korra’s eyes lowered. It was a good question—one that she hadn’t asked herself yet.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly, and a new fire lit under her. “But I need to try, at least.”

“You’ve got my support either way,” Kuvira said, wrapping her hand over one of Korra’s shoulders. “I hope it goes well for you. And, who knows? Maybe this is the type of soul searching you need.”

“Maybe,” Korra pondered, then glanced over at her friend and smiled. “Thank you for listening.”

“No problem. But does the record show that I _actually_ managed to successfully handle a Korra internal crisis? Damn, I’m getting old!”

Korra laughed and shoved her friend. “Shut up.”

They casually chatted for a while, laughing and enjoying the music while being in their little bubble. Twenty minutes later, a tall, gorgeous black woman with long dreadlocks, large glasses, and a septum piercing strolled up to them and hugged Kuvira from behind.

“I’ve been texting you for the past 10 minutes,” she said, then shot an accusatory look at Korra. “How long are you going to be over here?”

Kuvira barely spared the woman a glance. “For as long as I feel like it.”

“I wanna dance.”

“It’s a free bar. No one’s stopping you.”

Rather than be annoyed or offended by Kuvira’s apathy, the woman smirked. Korra watched with an amused eyebrow raise as she grabbed Kuvira by the collar of her jacket and force her to turn so that their faces came close.

“I’m gonna give you…” she pretended to think about it “…about two minutes. If you’re not on that dance floor with me, I promise you‘re going to be in _a lot_ of trouble tonight.”

She let Kuvira go and sauntered away, her hips moving deliberately as she did.

“She’s feisty. Where’d you find her?” Korra asked teasingly, but Kuvira only shrugged. Korra chuckled. “You’re so into her. I can tell.”

“You can’t tell anything,” Kuvira said.

“Please. I know exactly what your foreplay looks like. You act all disinterested, but it’s just a part of the lure. She seems to see right through it, too. And, let me guess, she lets you bite?”

“Hn. I guess you would know all about that, huh? Speaking of, have you told Asami where that scar on your left shoulder came from?”

“You’re still alive, so no.”

Kuvira snickered and finished the rest of her drink. She was just about to get off her stool and go find her mysterious new friend, but then Ginger approached both of them from out of nowhere and grabbed their arms.

“I need you guys outside _now_ ,” she said urgently.

“We are not going to play groupies just so you can get the band to do another future gig,” Kuvira said, and Korra laughed.

“No, guys, I’m serious. Faheema and a few other Agni Kai showed up trying to start a fight with me and Jar. They’re looking for you, too, Kuvira. I got the bouncers to kick them out through the back, but now they’re standing outside and refusing to leave. Jar’s going _ballistic._ ”

Korra and Kuvira only shared a glance before hopping up and heading straight for the back of the bar to the exit. They made it out to the alley just in time to see one bouncer holding Jargala back. Across from her were four other women being blocked off by the other bouncer. There was a drizzle outside, but their voices carried through the narrow space as they hurled insults back and forth.

Kuvira quickly walked over to Jargala and told the bouncer to move, then she grabbed Jargala by the shoulders.

“Stop it. They’re only trying to provoke you and get in your head before tomorrow night,” she said.

“Too late! I’m provoked!” Jargala said, trying to rush at the women again.

“Kuvira’s right,” Korra agreed. “Save this energy for tomorrow. Come inside.”

“It’s about time you showed your face, Kuvira!” shouted one woman. Faheema. “I almost got the impression you were hiding from me.”

“I’m not a hard person to find if you’re actually looking for me,” Kuvira spoke, then she pushed Jargala into Korra’s hands and told Korra to take her inside.

“You think you’re such hot shit, don’t you? Too bad I’m not impressed at all. I want your full attention tomorrow because it’ll be even sweeter when I put your ass down for good.”

“I’m sure that must’ve taken hours of you practicing in the mirror. Don’t quit your day job.” Kuvira waved them off and started toward the bar.

“At least I’m not on my knees. You probably still have the taste of Varrick’s balls on your tongue from having them in your mouth so much.”

“Why don’t you shut the hell up?” Korra said. She handed off Jargala to Ginger and turned toward the four women.

“It’s okay, Korra,” Kuvira said, walking up to her. “Let’s just get inside.”

“Oh, is that Korra, really?” Faheema asked, attempting to walk around the bouncer that she was half a foot taller than. “That name’s so ancient now.”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Korra said, ignoring Kuvira’s suggestion. “What’s up? The new nose is suiting you just fine, I see.”

The Sudanese woman glared and tried to walk forward, but both bouncers got in front of her this time and only let her get so far. “I’m sure you heard the rumors about me, so I’d watch my mouth if I were you. Besides, when was the last time we heard anything from you exactly?”

“The one time she got her ass beat and then tucked tail and ran,” answered another woman, causing the group to burst into laughter.

Korra’s jaw clenched and her temper began to flare, but Kuvira sensed it and grabbed her by the arm.

“Come on, we’re walking away,” she said, forcing Korra to turn to the door, then she called back to the group. “She’s not fighting a bunch of pathetic people like you.”

“Oh, that’s right. I forgot that fighting isn’t her thing anymore,” Faheema said in faux sympathy and innocence. “Instead, she’d rather spend her days fucking some dumb heiress bitch who probably takes after their terrorist daddy.”

Korra spun around so fast, ripping herself out of Kuvira’s grip, and ran forward. The bouncers had no time to react, and she already had Faheema tackled to the ground. They rolled around on the damp, hard concrete, but Korra ended up on top with her hands wrapped around Faheema’s throat. Loud commotion came after that, with shouting from both sides and people trying to pull Korra off. She heard Faheema let out choking sounds as she reached up and yanked Korra by the hair, pulling it so hard that it threatened to rip from Korra’s scalp. Korra didn’t feel it, though, nor could she see anything. Only red.

Somehow, she got pulled away. The bouncers were now trying to get the scene under control, yelling at the four women and threatening to call the police if they didn’t leave. It didn’t stop both groups from yelling insults and cursing at one another.

Korra was still in hearing distance when she heard Faheema yell one last thing as she got pulled in the other direction down the alley.

“Think you’re so fancy now, huh? You’re still at the bottom of the barrel just like the rest of us! Remember that the next time you’re with your _bitch!_ ”

Korra struggled against the people restraining her and shouted a bunch of expletives. Eventually, she found herself back in the small hallway of the bar that led to the exit. Kuvira stood right there in her face, shouting.

“It’s over! They’re gone, okay? Snap out of it!”

A noise of what sounded like a saw digging hard into a surface flooded Korra’s ears, but then she realized it was her teeth grinding together. Her shoulders moved up and down to match her heavy breathing, and her eyes darted around frantically, where she caught the several concerned stares all aimed at her.

“Those fuckers are dead meat tomorrow,” Jargala said, pounding her fist into her hand. She was the only one left as fired up as Korra and paced around as she rambled to herself “…knew exactly what they were doing.”

“Korra,” Kuvira said, shaking her by the shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Taking another minute to calm down, Korra exhaled harshly.

“I’m fine. Sorry.”

Kuvira nodded and released her.

“Don’t be! She deserved it,” Ginger chimed in. “If you hadn’t reacted to that, I would’ve taken one of my heels off and stabbed that woman in the eye with it. She’s horrible!”

“Ginger, take Jargala to the bar. We’ll meet you there,” Kuvira said, trying to de-escalate the situation even further.

“Right.” Ginger nodded and told her bouncers to disperse too before leading Jargala away. Korra and Kuvira stood there in the hallway alone.

“I’m fine,” Korra said again. It sounded like she was trying to convince herself. “Really. I’m fine.”

“Okay…” Kuvira shuffled, then she gave a wry smile. “It’s been a while since we’ve been pulled up on like that, huh?”

“Heh… yeah,” Korra replied weakly.

“That’s the first time I’ve seen you blackout like that in ages. I forgot how much it scares the shit out of me.”

Korra nodded and looked down.

“Hey,” Kuvira said, putting her hand on Korra’s shoulder again. “Don’t even worry about it. I’m going to kick that mouth breather’s ass tomorrow night. No one talks shit about my girl’s girl and gets away with it. All right?”

Korra found the urge to smile a little and nodded again. “Okay.”

“Now, come on,” Kuvira said. “You have an alcohol free spritz with your name on it.”

“I’ll catch up,” Korra said, remaining in place. “I need another minute.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah.” Korra forced another smile. “Go find that woman of yours before you really are in trouble tonight.”

“Ah shit, yeah,” Kuvira remembered, but she still didn’t look ready to move. “Just don’t take long, okay? I’ll be at the bar.”

“Right behind you.”

Although there was still a look of concern on her face, Kuvira offered a smile and walked off. Korra waited until she was alone before walking out of the exit again. Her lungs still felt too constricted, and her simmering rage still burned a dark shade of red.

The drizzle outside turned into a full sprinkle, but it cooled her face. She came to a stop near a large dumpster nearby and stared at it for a few seconds. The scene from before replayed, and before she knew it, she angrily drove her foot into the dumpster several times, the sound booming from down the alley.

After that, she took another few deep breaths before walking over to the brick wall and crouching down to her knees.

Kuvira’s promise should’ve been enough, but it wasn’t. Her blood rushed just from the exhilaration, and her hands shook with the need to get them on Faheema again—to get blood on them. She teetered toward the edge of right and wrong. The temptation was almost too alluring.

But in the middle of her boiling rage and excitement, Asami’s face came into the picture, reminding her again of who she was now and who she _wasn’t_ supposed to be anymore.

Korra pulled out her phone and dialed her girlfriend’s name by heart. She knew Asami wouldn’t be able to answer, but she didn’t need her to.

“Hey, it’s me,” Korra said shakily when the voicemail beeped. “I hope your day’s going well…” She paused and fidgeted with the cuff of her jean jacket as she tried to calm herself. A second later, she sighed. “Not to sound like one of those clingy, codependent assholes we laugh about, but I _miss_ you. Getting to see you in a few days is what I’m holding on to right now… Okay. Sorry. I know this probably sounds weird. I hope I’m not worrying you or anything. Anyway, I’ll see you soon. I _love_ you.”

Korra hung up just as her voice became thicker and more uncontrollable. She wiped her hand over her face and took some more deep breaths before rising and walking back into the crowded bar.

* * *

It hadn’t stopped raining since the night before. Korra stayed in bed for the whole morning and afternoon, still decompressing from the Agni Kai ambush. Kuvira offered to come over, but Korra declined, telling her that she needed to focus on her matches for the night. Though, there were several times Korra debated showing up to the event just to watch Faheema get her face kicked in. She already knew Kuvira would win it, but she would’ve relished at the moment anyway.

After losing track of the day, by the time she looked at another clock, it was already time for dinner. She decided to go with chicken enchilada skillets for the night.

She got started chopping up a few vegetables, but then she heard something at the front door. After stopping all movement, she waited for another second and then heard more shuffling. She cautiously walked out into the hallway, and just as she was about to approach the door, the knob turned and it opened.

Korra’s heart skipped a beat when she saw Asami soaking wet as she struggled there in the door with her two suitcases. When Asami looked up and saw Korra standing there, she gave a tired but full smile.

“Hi,” she said breathlessly.

“Y-you’re three days early,” Korra said in confusion, although a smile grew on her face as well.

“Technically two in Japan time. But yeah, I’m home. Can you, uh, help me?”

Korra ran straight up to her girlfriend, not caring a single damn bit about the suitcases or that Asami was dripping from head to toe, and wrapped her arms around her. She heard Asami’s bags drop with a loud thump, but then she held Korra back just as fiercely.

“I missed you so much,” Asami said.

“Missed you, too,” Korra mumbled into her jacket. “You’re all wet.”

“Yeah. As you can see, not much planning went into this.”

“What happened? What about that convention?” Korra pulled away and looked at her. “You said it was important.”

“They didn’t need me. The CFO had it all under control and I trust him. Besides, my mind wasn’t all there in the first place, and then I heard that voicemail from you…”

“I’m sorry about that.” Korra looked down, feeling embarrassed. “I didn’t want you to worry about me or anything.”

Asami stroked Korra’s cheek with the back of her hand. When Korra looked up, she noticed the concern in her girlfriend’s eyes.

“Are you okay?” Asami asked.

Korra closed her eyes and grabbed Asami’s wrist, pressing her cold palm to the side of her face.

“I am now.”

For a long minute, nothing else happened. When Korra opened her eyes and caught Asami staring at her so lovingly, every part of her began to hum with excitement, relief, and yearning. Seeing Asami’s teeth sink into her bottom lip was all she needed to put her over the edge.

She grabbed her girlfriend by the collar of her jacket and brought their mouths together in a hungry, soul-warming kiss that they’d been deprived of for a good 11 days. Asami kicked the door shut, then took control, leading Korra through the apartment as they ripped each other’s clothes off. They ended up in the living room, and Asami pushed Korra down on the couch. Korra shivered once their naked bodies came into contact, but she quickly got over it, instead threading her fingers through Asami’s wet strands.

They were fast and frantic as if they’d been starved for years. Little words were uttered, and if they were, it was to express, again, how much they missed each other. Korra’s fingers continued to run through Asami’s hair, eventually guiding Asami downward until she ate Korra out. Korra arched off the couch and moaned loudly as she came apart in Asami’s mouth. She felt so energized, vibrant, and _alive._ It summed up perfectly the effect Asami’s very presence brought on her. She returned that same passion tenfold.

Thirty minutes later, once they both had their fill of each other, Asami slowly came up Korra’s body, kissing her everywhere until they came face to face. Korra’s chest heaved up and down and she stared back with half-lidded eyes.

“God, you’re beautiful,” Asami murmured and kissed her again. “I’ve been eager to do that since I first got on the plane.”

“Can you never leave for that long again?” Korra asked.

Asami chuckled. “Did you not like my gift from last night?”

“I loved your gift, but it just made me miss you more.”

“Well, if what just happened was your way of convincing me to never leave, then I’m canceling everything else for the rest of the year.”

Korra smiled. She tried to, at least.

“About what happened a few days ago… You were right. About all of it. I should’ve never gone to see Varrick. I was being an idiot and you had every right to be upset with me.”

“I wasn’t upset, and you’re _not_ an idiot.” Asami fell on Korra’s side, then she began to draw patterns on Korra’s abs with her fingers. “You were just looking out for the people you care about.”

“I know, but I never _ever_ want you to think that I’d choose Blackstone over us.”

“I’ve never thought anything like that,” Asami said.

“Yeah, I just…” Korra wanted to say more, but then she sighed and turned into her girlfriend. She wrapped an arm around her waist and leaned her head into Asami’s shoulder, releasing a shaky breath.

“Hey,” Asami spoke quietly in alarm and rubbed circles into Korra’s back. “It’s not a big deal. I promise.”

Korra shook her head, frustrated with herself for not being able to say the words she wanted to say. She wanted to relay all of those doubts and internal fears she’d been stressing over, but it tired her out all the same. She knew that Asami would’ve comforted and reassured her like always, but that was the problem. How many more times could they have the same conversation before it turned into a broken record?

“Can we just run away from here?” she asked a few minutes later.

“And go where?” Asami asked. Her fingers trailed up and down Korra’s spine while she placed kisses on her shoulder.

“I don’t know. New Mexico or something? We can get an RV and just drive all around the country.”

“Does that mean you’ll let me teach you how to drive?”

“I do know how to drive. I just don’t have my license.”

“Keep telling yourself that, honey.”

Korra smiled, but again, she felt a blockade—a quiet sting in her chest reminding her that she still had so many things yet to achieve and not be so “bottom of the barrel.” She sighed and pulled back from Asami to cup her cheek.

“Can you paint me the picture again?” she asked.

“The picture?” Asami gave a curious look.

“Yeah, of us… What our life looks like however many years from now.”

Asami’s eyes softened. She put her hand on Korra’s hip and caressed it with her thumb.

“I’m one of the most versatile entrepreneurs in the business industry as CEO of Future Industries _and_ the future of fashion. Ball gowns are my specialty, so famous people love coming to me for special awards and prestigious events. You’re successful as well in whatever you choose to do. Maybe you own a restaurant or something where the menu is filled with a bunch of wacky names based on all of the weird experiences we went through after traveling the world together.”

“Mm. Sounds nice.” Korra said with a smile, closing her eyes as Asami set the scene.

“We settle somewhere in the mountains of Colorado, but we’re close enough to a city whenever I get that itch to be around civilization again, and those moments come few and far between. Our house is on 40 acres of land, where we see a bunch of other mountains and wildlife. The clouds and the stars are so close that you think you can touch all of them because they’re all around us. And I’m always falling asleep in your arms during the summer months in our hammock because neither of us wants to go back inside.”

“Do we make love under the stars?” Korra asked in a whisper.

“Mhm. Lots of it.” Asami kissed Korra’s temple and pulled her in closer, then she continued. “We have four bedrooms in our house: One for guests, though Kuvira and Opal would use it the most whenever they came to visit, then an office space for myself, where it’s a tornado all the time and I like it that way since I’m a chaotic mess of my own with a bunch of things on my plate. The third room serves as a playroom for our dog: a German Shepherd—”

“Golden Retriever,” Korra corrected. She kept changing her mind about that detail.

“All right. The room is for our Golden Retriever that we spoil rotten. It runs around outside and scares away the raccoons and elk. And speaking of running, you run every day on the trail that goes on for miles and miles around the mountain, and you never miss a step. In the winter months, you train in our very own home gym.”

“Oh, how I’d never love to share weights with sweaty, disgusting lunks ever again.”

Asami giggled but went on. “I’ve also taken up gardening and, nine times out of 10, you will find me in the backyard checking on the plants, vegetables, and fruits whenever I’m not working. Whenever I walk through the door with something I’ve successfully grown, you’re always so excited and can’t wait to get in the kitchen and cook me one of your special recipes. It’s a peaceful, quiet, and maybe mundane life… but it’s everything we’ve ever wanted. Because we deserve it.”

Korra opened her eyes and met Asami’s. Her girlfriend gave her a look of pure adoration, and it was enough to wash away any of the overwhelming anxiety she had over the past few days.

“Why can’t we just fast forward to all of that? Be done with the hard stuff?” she asked in all seriousness.

“Because if it were that easy, neither of us would want it so much,” answered Asami.

Korra nodded in agreement. Neither she nor Asami took the easy route when it came to anything. Once they were in with something, they were _all_ in. No matter the result, the real satisfaction came in knowing that they didn’t hold themselves back and went for it anyway.

“Are you busy on the last week of September?” Korra asked.

Asami contemplated the question and took a moment to reply.

“I’ll have to double-check my schedule, but I don’t believe so. Why?”

Despite the uncertainty, the hesitancy, and the fear, Korra took a leap of faith.

“Because I’m going to Quebec City, and I would like you to be there with me when I finally face my father again.”

Asami didn’t make any sudden movements, but when she noticed Korra’s unwavering determination, she nodded.

“Yes, of course,” she whispered and then pulled Korra in for another hug. “I’ll be there with you every step of the way.”

Korra hugged her back tightly, her eyes squeezing shut as she wished and hoped and _prayed_ her decision was the right one.


End file.
